Improvement in devices for effecting the static discharge in autographic telegraphy



W. E. SAWYER. Device for Effecting the Static Discharge in Autographic Telegraphy.

No.1 96,833. Patented Nov. 6, I877.

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WMZ5% UNITED swims PAT NT OFFICE.

WILLIAM SAWYER, or NEW YORK, n. Y.

. IMPROVEMENT morvlc'zs FOR EFFECTING THE STATIC'DISCHARGE m AUTOGRAPHIC TEL'EGRAPHY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,833, dated November 6, 1877 application filed I June 29, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM EDWARD SAWYER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Autog1'aphic,Oopying, orFac- Simile Telegraph Apparatus, .of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

In the operation of autographi'c telegraphs, where isochronous movement of distantly-sepa rated instruments is maintained by the transmission of currents of electricity over the line connecting them, the static charge of the line is found to be a serious obstacle to accurate or rapid work. v

In all such telegraphs the electric impulses of the transmitting battery or batteries, which have no relation to the regulation of the instruments, charge the line to such an extent that when the instruments arrive at the regulating-point, where electro-m agnetic apparatus are placed in circuit, the static charge is oftentimes so strong as to prevent the regulation of theregulating current or currents by reason of its actuating the electromagnetic apparatus before the proper time or times. To obviate this difficulty is the design of my present invention.

Referring to the drawin g s accompanying and forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a top, and Fig. 2 a side, view, A represents the transmitting orreceiving instrument; and a, b, and c, attachments thereto.

The nature, construction, and action of antographic-telegraph instruments being so well understood, and having been so fully set forth in Letters Patent heretofore granted to me, I have not deemed it necessary to show more than the position of the same in the present instance.

The spring 1) upon the insulating-piece c is touched by the cam a once in every revolution of the cam. From the connection thus made the magnet m is actuated by local battery B, thus changing the circuit of the line from the transmitting or receiving apparatus to the electromagnetic apparatus n, by which the transmitting or receiving apparatus is periodically regulated. The armature-lever (1 has its bearing in standard 6, fixed to base (1, fbeing the usual retractile spring, the tension of which is' regulated by adjusting-screw g in standard h. I

,Held in standard so, and insulated-from each other by insulating-piece j, are two contactscrews, i and j, which make connection, alternately, with lever d. Surrounding the pointed end 1 of lever d is an insulatingpiece, k, which, when the lever is either up or down, isolates it from the contact-roller 0, held by spring 19.

condenser. The lever d is connected to the line-wire The upper contact-screw iis connected to one side of the transmitting or receiving apparatus A, the' other side of which is connected to earth, or to batteries and earth. The lower contact-screw j is connected to the electromagnetic regulating apparatus a, and thence to earth, or to battery and earth.

To clearly illustrate theoperation of myin- I vention, let it be supposed that the transmitting or receiving instrument has arrived at the point at which it is to be regulated by a linecurrent. The cam a has made connection with the spring b, and the circuit of local battery B is closed through electro-magnet m. The result is that the line-wire, through the downward movement of the lever 07, is removed from contact-screw 't, and thereby fromgthe transmitting or receiving apparatus; thenput to earth or a discharging-battery by contact of lever-point Z with roller 0; then removed from the earth or discharging-battery connection by the point l leaving the roller 0 and, finally,

put to theelectromagnetic regulating apparatus n, and earth or battery, as the case may At this ceiving'apparatus .is regulated by a line-current, when the cam a, passing from the spring I), removes battery B from the-magnet m, and

lever d rises to repeat its connection to earth by way of roller 0, then to pass from roller 0, and finally make connection with upper contact-screw t.

The result of the downward motion of the leverd is that the line, previously charged in the transmission of the message to a certain tension, is discharged by the lever making contact with the roller 0, so that when the lever 0. finally makes connection with the lower screw j,-and thus puts the line to the electro- The roller 0 is connected to earth or a discharging-battery with or without a instant the transmitting or red magnetic regulating apparatus n, there is no discharge from the line to interfere with the proper action of the same.

I do not limit myself to the employment of the roller 0. The lever with a flat spring, or in any other way the line may be momentarily put to earth. Nordo I limit myself to the employment of an electromagnet to change the circuit, since a commu tator may readily be arranged in the situation of the cam a and spring I) to perform the e11 tire work of the cam, spring, and electro-magnet m.

I am aware that the device of putting-the line to earth or a discharging-battery to clear it of tailingsflafter the transmissionpf an electric impulse, has long been employed; but

my invention differs from such employment,-in that it has no relation to clearing the line after each impulse of message-transmission our} d may make, contact rents,but of relieving the same of its static charge when the line is cutofi. from messagetransmission and put to the work of regulating the instruments.

Havin g thus described myinvention, what I claim as such, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of an aut0graphic-te1egraph transmitting or'receiving instrument, a regulator therefor, periodically operated by the transmission of a line-current, and a commutator,which puts the line to earth or to a discharging-battery previous to putting it to the regulator, scribed.

WILLIAM EDWARD sAWY Witnesses:

JAMES G. SMITH, OHARLns E. KIMBALL;

substantially as shown and de- 

